KumbaK Coasters

[Krazykral10]

So, I think it is safe to say the Vekoma going bankrupt is old news. But I never heard of this complay before. They call themselves KumbaK Coasters and are building the new water coaster and Efteling in the Netherlands. If you go to the site, www.kumbakcoasters.nl, you'll see that they say ther are comprised of many former employees of Vekoma. Does this mean that Vekoma is gone for good!? I was just wondering if anyone can clear this up for me, has heard of them before, or has an opinion on this.

[BiCoastal Kid]

you'll see that they say ther are comprised of many former employees of Vekoma.

 

if that's the case, then it will be like Gravity Group was with CCI designers.

[DATman]

I thought they were from arrow...

[CoasterFanatic]

I don't think that Vekoma is gone. Didn't they just finish that Everest thingy or something?

[coaster1]

Kumback was formed after the Vekoma bankruptcy in I believe 2000/2001 .. Vekoma was reorganized, purchased by another group of investors and brought back as Vekoma Rides in the US term of speaking.

 

Kumback has also done work for other parks on existing Vekoma rides, like to trains as at Blackpool and I think one German park.

[viking86]

KumbaK made new trains for Python, the Vekoma looping coaster in Efteling in Holland.

 

http://www.rcdb.com/ig897.htm?picture=24

http://www.rcdb.com/ig897.htm?picture=18

http://www.rcdb.com/ig897.htm?picture=17

 

[The Riddler]

Kumbak was started by Vekoma employees. Vekoma also builds coasters, Kumbak is only a new company.

 

The reason why the Vekoma coaster Python (Efteling) Kumbak trains get was I thougt because de Efteling had some problems with Vekoma. I read that somewhere. Also now is Kumbak building ''De Vliegende Hollander'', the watercoaster.

[Krazykral10]

Ya thats what I said earlier, KumbaK is build the new watercoaster. So what you're saying about the difficulties with Efteling and Vakoma makes sense then. I wonder if the new trains on Python helped the roughness at all

[GoldRusheROCKS]

They need a better website. That thing hasn't been touched since it was created ages ago.

 

Here's an email I got back from their EVP back in May of 2003.

 

Dear Brent

 

Thank you for your email and your interest in KumbaK Coasters. Firstly let

me give you some background on KumbaK. We were formed in October 2001 by

three former executives of Vekoma, including myself.

 

Since we started we have been working in two areas. Firstly, in providing

engineering support and spare parts for existing rides. We set ourselves a

challenge that we would add 1 new customer every month for the first 15

months. We are now in month 20 and we have 20 customers and we are

expecting to add at least two more this month.

 

Secondly, our very talented team of designers and engineers has developed

state-of-the-art roller coaster design tools. The details are

confidential, however we believe we are at the leading edge and are now

producing some of the best and most innovative designs in the industry.

There was an article on KumbaK published in Amusemnt Today earlier this

year and I have attached a copy for your information.

 

I regret that all our commercial business is confidential and we are not at

liberty to divulge what we are doing - as you can imagine we want to keep

our competitors in the dark. Unfortunately this also means that we cannot

release information to coaster enthusiasts - however through articles that

will be published later this year you will come to learn more about KumbaK.

 

With regard to Disneyland - that's a question that you have to address to

Disneyland and I am sure you are aware that their plans are kept very

secret.

 

*Part taken out because of what he told me and what he didn't want to happen*

 

Well that's about it - I assume you are still at school and I wish you

every success with your studies. If you want to be a coaster designer then

you need to excel at Math and Physics.

 

Good luck

 

David Vatcher

Executive Vice President

KumbaK Coasters

 

Image he included...

 

[Musical Pete]

Kumback has also done work for other parks on existing Vekoma rides, like to trains as at Blackpool and I think one German park.

The Pleasure Beach has no Vekoma rides - KumbaK made new cars and systems for Space Invader, which was a Zierer coaster. Also, they're supplying the new Grand National brakes and control system. Hopefully the computer won't foul up and keep the coaster closed all the time, though realistically it should be well tuned and prove reliable (afterall, that's the idea - take away the risks of a manual system while keeping the thing running!). Big leap though from a seventy year old coaster with wooden levers and simple sub-track rodding to old caliper brakes which you could leave wide open and walk off, to a seventy-one year old coaster with computer controlled magnetic and air brakes.

 

Some of that is speculation on my part - it's highly likely there's a computer involved, and highly likely the holding brakes will be air-actuated. We'll see soon enough. I might even end up at the controls this year, though not when TPR is over here as I'll be in the US with the ECC. The irony!

 

Hmm, KumbaK water coasters. Hmm, watercoaster planned for 2007 at the Pleasure Beach, in place of the flume. Hmm!